1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for cutting and separating (hereinafter referred as "pelletizing") CSP plates into their individual chip scale packages (abbreviated as CSPs) or pellets to put them on carrier trays for transportation.
2. Related Arts
Referring to FIG. 8, a chip size package plate (abbreviated as CSP plate) 100 is composed of a lattice arrangement of semiconductor chips lined with epoxy or any other resin material in sealed integral form, which can be separated into a plurality of CSPs or pellets by cutting along crosswise cutting lines 101 and 102.
Referring to FIG. 9, CSP plates 100 can be pelletized with a conventional dicing apparatus 110, which is usually used in dicing semiconductor wafers. A plurality of CSP plates 100 each attached to a carrier F by means of adhesive tape T, are stored in a cassette 111.
CSP plates 100 are taken out one after another by the taking-out means 112, and then a selected CSP plate is sucked and held on the first transporting means 113. When the first transporting means 113 turns toward the chuck table 114, the CSP plate 100 is released and laid on the chuck table 114 where it is sucked and fixedly held.
The chuck table 114 is moved in the X-axial direction to the orientation stage where a picture of the CSP plate 100 is taken to locate its cutting lines 101 and 102 with the aid of the alignment means 116. Then, the chuck table 114 is moved in the X-axial direction to permit the cutting means 118 to cut the CSP plate 100 along a selected longitudinal cutting line 101 with the cutting blade 117.
After cutting the CSP plate 100 along all longitudinal cutting lines 101, the chuck table 114 is rotated 90 degrees, and then the CSP plate 100 is cut along its lateral cutting lines 102. When the CSP plate 100 is cut along all lateral cutting lines 102, it is separated into a plurality of individual CSPs or pellets.
After being pelletized, the CSP plate 100 which has its individual pellets retained thereon, is transported to the washing area 120 where the separated CSP plate 100 is washed and dried, and then, the separated CSP plate is taken in the cassette 111 with the taking-in means 112. Thus, the cassette 111 loaded with pelletized CSP plates, each lined with adhesive tape T and supported by an associated carrier F, is removed from the dicing apparatus 110. Later, individual CSPs are put in carrier trays to be arranged at regular intervals therein, and the carrier trays thus loaded with individual CSPs are shipped or transported to assembling lines in the factory.
After dicing semiconductor wafers, the so produced pellets must be subjected to wire-bonding, packaging and other processing before providing commercial products. Different from such semiconductor wafers CSP plates can be advantageously commercial products simply by pelletizing. It is, however, necessary that such pellets are put in carrier trays for shipping or transporting to the assembling lines of an electronics manufacturing factories.
If the dicing apparatus 110 is used in pelletizing CSP plates, the plates can be pelletized, and the so pelletized CSP plates can be put in the cassette, but disadvantageously individual CSPs cannot be put in carrier trays for shipping. For that purpose it is necessary that such individual pellets be transported to a loading stage where they are put in carrier trays by using loading means. This requires not only such extra loading means but also operators engaging in loading work.